Slackline excavator



Dec. 27, 1932. J. H. STREET 1,892,086

SLACKLINE EXCAVATOR Filed Sept. 5, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet l Dec. 27, 1932. J. H. STREET SLAQKLINE EXCAVATOR Filed Sept. 5, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Dec. 27, 1932.. J STREET 1,892,086

SLACKLINE EXCAVATOR Filed Sept. 5, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet ec. 27, 1932. A J. H. STREET 1,892,086

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA OR Patented Dec. 27, 1932 J'osHUA H. srn'nn'r, or CHLAT'IANOOGA, "Tennessee smexum EXCAVATOR Application filed September This i'nvention relates to a sla'ckline'ekcav'ator of that type utilizinga carriage from which is suspended a bucket adapted to 'dig i into material and convey the-load to a predetermined point where it is to be dumped.

It is an object-of the present invention-to provide meclranism of this character wherein the-bucket is connected to the carriage in a semi-rigid manner, said connection being such as to permit the bucket to swing'upwardly at its back end relative to the carriage s'o 'as to assume a substantially honzon-tal position while'being loaded following which the bucket can swing downwardly I from-the carriage and be maintained in a load retaining'position by chains or the like used for limiting the movement of the bucket.

A further object is to provide a slackhne excavator so constructed that the bucketan'd carriage are maintained substantially parallel 'with each other du'ringthe loading of the bucket, thetrack rope being maintained in an even line with the carriage and said carriage and rope being held'out' of the materia'lwhile the bucket is being filled.

A still further object-is to provide'the bucket with'tripping mechanism which can be actu'atedat any desiredpoint selected at will.

Another object is to provide improved means for transmitting motion to the latch of the bucket when the load is to be dumped.

With the foregoing and other ob ects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes .40 in the precise'embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, may be made within "the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the'spirit of the'invention.

In the accompanying drawings, the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

excavating position and, by full lines,in po- 5, 1931. Serial No. 561,482.

sition'on the track rope while conveying a load toward the point of delivery.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the carriage and bucket, said bucket being shown in one ofthe positions assumed thereby while excavating.

Figure 3 isa front elevation of the carriage showing the bumper.

Figure 4 is a view partly in side elevation and partly in section of a portion of the structure and'the adjacent part of the latch mechanism.

Figure 5 is a rearpe'rspective view of the bucket showing the latch and the chains extending to'the latch and bucket.

Figure 6 is an enlarged section on line 66, Figure 2.

Referringto the figures'by characters of reference, '1 designates a mast to which is connected one end 'ofatr'ack rope 2. This track-rope is adapted'to be paid out andto be taken up by means of block and tackle indicated'generally at 3, which is controlled by a Windlass 4. A tripping collar 5 is slidably moimted-on the track rope 2 and has conn'ect- 7 5 ed to it a light operating rope 6 extended over a guidesheave 7 and downwardly to a point where it can be actuated conveniently by the operator. When the track rope is slack this tripping collar can be allowed to 8'0 gravitate to any desired point thereon by paying out the rope/6. By-pulling on rope 6 the tripping collarcan be drawn upwardly toward the mast and brought to a desired point. After the tripping collar has been lo cated at the place desired the rope 6 can be fastened in any manner desired.

The track rope 2 supports a carriage 8 having wheels 9 adapted to travel along the V rope. Theparticular construction of the carriage does not constitute any part of the present invention and therefore it is not believed necessary to describe it in detail.

A pivot pin 10 is extended transversely of the front portion of the carriage and is hingedly engaged by a bracket 11 mounted on the middle portion of a yoke 12 which is secured to the sides of the front end of a bucket 13 and extends upwardly therefrom. v The back of this bracket '11 carries a cushbell crank.

ioning device in the form of a block 14 slid able in a recess 15. A pin 16 extend from the block through the bottom portion of the re cess and serves to limit the movement of the block outwardly from the recess. A cushioning spring 17 is arranged in tl e recess and bears against block 14 so as to hold it normallypressed outwardly relative to the recess. When the bucket 13 is swung upwardly toward the back end of the carriage 8 the cushioning block 14 will strike ag inst the carriage and absorb the shock as will. be parent by referring to Figures .0 and 4.

Bucket 13 has any suitable arrangement of teeth or bits 18 at its front end for digging into the material to be excavated. 'l heback end of the bucket is normally closed by a gate 19 hingedly mounted at its upper end on pins 20 carried by brackets 21 mounted on the end portions of'a cross bar 22 which bridges the back end of the bucket. A latch 23 is slidably mounted on the gate and adapted to engage a keeper 24 extending from the bottom of the bucket.

The latch 23 is connected by links 25 to one end of the head 26 of a lever 27. This lever is fulcrumed between ears 28 on bar 22 and the head 26 has a chain 29 or other flexible element secured thereto. The other end of this flexible element is joined by a turnbuckle 30 to a rod 31 mounted on a bolt 32 which is carried by spaced angular plates 33. These plates are fulcrumed on a pin 34 mounted in the back end of carriage 8 and constitute a A series of apertures 35 is provided in each of the plates anl extends toward the fulcrum 34. Bolt 32 can be placed in any of these apertures so that red 31 can thus be adjusted toward or from fulcrum 34 to reduce or increase the movement of connection 29 due to the action of the bell crank plates 33.

A tubular rod 36 is extended longitudinally Within the carriage 8 and secured to and extending from one end thereof is a screw threaded stem 37 which is pivotally mounted between the plates forming bell crank 33. The other end of the tubular rod 36 has a screw-threaded stem 38 adjustably mounted therein and extending therefrom and the outer end of this stem has a transverse tubular head 39 which is interposed between the lower ends of segmental bumper plates 40. Head 39 is secured to the bumper plates by bolt 41 extending therethrough. The upper ends of the bumper plates are attached to the front end of the carriage by a t ansverse bolt 42.

The forward convex edges of the bumper plates are positioned where they will engage and be actuated by the tripping collar 5 when brought thereagainst.

For the purpose of holding the bumper plates 42 normally projected yieldingly ahead of the ca riage, a coiled spring 43 is connected to the carriage 8 and to the back end of tubular rod 36. By using this spring the flexible connection 29 is maintained slack under normal conditions.

Pivotally mounted on the end portions of the pin 34 are plates 44 to which are secured brackets 45. To these brackets are secured the upper ends of supporting chains 46 or the like the lower ends of which are attached to plates 47 which are pivotally mounted between brackets 43 on the end portions of the bar 22. These chains or other flexible connections 46 are adapted to be clamped adjustably to the brackets and are adapted to support the bucket normally at a predetermined angle relative to the carriage and while connection 29 is still slack. The angle at which the bucket will thus be supported will be such as to insure retention of the material which has been loaded into the bucket.

in practice the slackline is adjusted so that when the carriage is in its lowermost position thereon the bucket carried thereby can drag in a substantially horizontal position into the material to be excavated. These positions of the parts have been indicated by broken lines at A in Figure 1. At this time the connections 29 and 48 are slack. As the bucket is pulled forwardly by means of a line 48 attached thereto the forward end of the bucket will dig into the material until the bucket is filled after which continuedpulling on the line 48 will cause the carriage to move upwardly along the track rope. As the buckct pulls away from the material thereunder the connections 46 will assume taut positions so that the bucket will thus travel with the carriage along the track rope in load retaining position as shown at B of Figure 1. After the tripping collar has been drawn or allowed to gravitate to the point of delivery as heretofore explained, it will be apparent that when the carriage-reaches said point the bumper plates 40 will come against the collar and be pressed backwardly against the action of spring 43. Consequently the bell crank plates 33 will be swung about their fulcrum 34 so as to pull upwardly on connection 29, drawing it taut and lifting the latch 23. Thus gate 19 will be released. and the contents of the bucket will be delivered in the usual way. i

Following the foregoing operation the carriage and bucket are returned to their initial positions the gate 19 being closed by pressure against material in the path thereof or by any suitable means provided for that purpose after which the foregoing operation can be repeated. 2

lVhat is claimed is:

1. In a. slackline excavator a carriage, a bucket hingedly connected at its front end to the carriage and adapted to swing upwardly toward the carriage while the bucket is being filled, flexible means for connecting the carriage to the back end of the bucket to support the bucket in an inclined or load retaining position after the filling operation, and

means on the bucket cooperating with the 5 carriage for yieldingly stopping the upward movement of the back of the bucket relative to the carriage.

2. A slackline conveyor including a carriage, a bucket hingedly connected at its forward end to the carriage, a gate normally closing the back end of the bucket, a latch for holding the gate closed, a flexible connection between the carriage and the back end of the bucket for supporting the bucket in an 15 inclined or load retaining position, trip operated mechanism on the carriage, and a normally slack flexible connection between said mechanism and the latch.

3. A slackline conveyor including a car- 29 riage, a bucket hingedly connected at its forward end to the carriage, a gate normally closing the back end of the bucket, a latch for holding the gate closed, a flexible connection between the carriage and the back end of the bucketfor supporting the bucket in an inclined or load retaining position, trip operated mechanism on the carriage, a normally slack flexible connection between said mechanism and the latch, said mechanism including a bumper movably connected to the front end of the carriage, a yieldingly restrained member connected to and adapted to be actuated by the bumper, and a lever connection between said member and the normal- 35 ly slack flexible connection.

4. A slackline excavator including a carriage, a bucket hingedly connected thereto, a normally latched gate closing the back of the bucket, a flexible means adjustably connecting the carriage to the back end of the bucket for supporting the bucket in an inclined or load retaining position While suspended from the carriage, and trip operated means on the p carriage for unlatching the gate, said means 45 including a normally slack flexible element.

5. In a slackline excavator the combination with a track rope, and a trip, of a carriage mounted to travel on the rope, a bucket supported thereby, a normally latched gate closing the back end of the bucket, a bumper movably mounted on the carriage for engaging the trip, means actuated by the bumper for unlatching the gate, said means including a lever, a yieldingly restrained thrust connection between the bumper and the lever, and a normally slack flexible element extending from the lever for unlatching the gate.

, In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature.

JOSHUA H. STREET. 

